Wishing

1

“Life isn’t about the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.”- Anonymous2

*3

Holly knew she had to leave. If she didn’t go now, she never would, and besides, her family would know why she had gone. They knew she had to come to terms with her own thoughts. Everything was so messed up at the moment.4

Donna appeared beside her. “Hey, Holly, where are you going?”5

“Somewhere else,” Holly whispered, grabbing her bag, “away from here.”6

Donna looked at her. “Mum and Dad will be worried.”7

“They’ll know why I’ve gone,” says Holly firmly, “and when I’m ready I’ll go back.”8

“Then I’m going with you,” Donna said. Holly knew her sister, and also knew it was useless arguing with her. 9

Holly snuck out the front door, with Donna closely behind. She turned around, taking one last glance at the house she was leaving behind… who knew when she was going to return. Then she set off, her determination holding out against her nerves.10

They walked for about half an hour, Holly never slowing down and never looking back, because she knew if she did her guilt would overtake her and she’d go back. 11

“Where exactly are we going?” Donna asked. Holly turned slightly to look at her, and noted with surprise that her sister didn’t appear to be tired, or puffed out. That was strange, Donna had always gotten tired so easily. 12

Holly shook her head, disregarding her reservations, and continued walking. “Um, I have no idea right now, but I’ll know when we get there.” 13

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Donna asked gently. 14

Holly reached for her to grab her hand, but Donna pulled back quickly. “Uh, of course it is,” Holly stuttered, disconcerted by the way Donna had avoided her touch. She turned back and continued walking.15

As time went on and they continued to walk, the sun rose and Holly felt herself getting thirsty, and hungry. They needed to find a place to stop and eat the stuff she’d quickly shoved into her bag just before they’d left. 16

A giant tree stood on the hilltop- they had been following a trail without realizing it. It would provide shade, a place to sit down and a place where the two of them could decide where they wanted to go. Holly and Donna walked up the hill. Holly got a sudden shock of realization as she figured out that right now her parents would be waking up and finding both their daughters gone.17

They sat down on the hilltop and Holly got the food out of her bag. She was about to give some to Donna, but she shook her head. “Not hungry, thanks, Holly.” 18

That was another thing that was weird. Donna had always loved her food. Never in living memory had she been known to turn down any kind of food. 19

“Are you okay, Donna?” Holly asked tentatively. “You’re acting very… strange.”20

Donna nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just not hungry. “21

Holly reached for her for a second time, and again Donna pulled away. “Really, I’m alright.”22

Holly sat there and ate her food in silence. Something was not right. Her sister had always been so affectionate towards everyone around her- just one of the reasons why everybody had always gotten along with her so well. Maybe Donna wasn’t feeling well. Surely that must be what was causing her sister to act this way.23

She laid back against the tree and sighed. The path ahead of Holly was so obscure from now on. There was no certain way that it would turn out. But maybe a little spontaneity was what she was missing in her life. Holly was taking a risk and if everything went okay, the risk would pay off for her.24

She heard Donna get up beside her. “Where are you going?”25

“Just to look at the view,” Donna replied.26

Holly sat up. She hadn’t realized that there was a view there to look at, but sure enough, there was the most beautiful view she’d ever seen. She walked forward to go and look at it, Donna at her side. 27

But then suddenly, at the edge of the hill, which hung over part of the valley below them, Donna slipped on the pebbly ground, disappearing over the side. Holly screamed, so loudly she couldn’t hear anything else. She ran up to the edge and saw Donna hanging on to a very small rock ledge, which her feet could barely fit onto, and was holding onto a branch sticking out of the side of the cliff. 28

“Let one hand go and grab mine!” Holly shouted down to her. She stretched her arm down as far as it would go, hoping beyond hope it would be enough. 29

Donna did, taking wild swings to try and grab her sister’s hand, but missing every time. Once they came incredibly close- Holly could’ve sworn she had her hand- but never once did Holly manage to catch.30

The only thing to do was to lean further over the edge, and Holly made a grab for her sister’s hand, but instead felt herself slipping, and realized, in the split second it took to realize she was going to fall off, that Death was surely only seconds away. Then it all went black.31

*32

The first words out of Holly’s mouth was a scream of “Donna!” Then she realized she was in a hospital bed, with her mother and father next to her, and that Donna was nowhere to be seen.33

“Oh, my God,” her mother cried, and hugged her daughter tightly.34

“What happened to Donna?” Holly asked desperately, looking into her mother’s eyes, searching for the truth.35

What she found was shock. “Donna?” Clearly she was troubled by her daughter’s question. “She’s been dead for seven months. She died in the car accident, remember? You’ve been in a coma for two months.”36

And Holly suddenly realized. Why she had been unable to touch Donna. Why Donna had been acting so uncharacteristically.37

She hadn’t been there.38

Donna had been trapped inside Holly’s mind.39

And as Holly realized that, she knew that she had achieved what she had set out too that morning… she had come to terms with what had been troubling her for so long.40

It was all over.41